quote:I thought checking the roll pin is as easy as cranking the engine with the distributor cap off and watching it spin no?
In my case, the timing was retarded. The roll pin had sheared, and it allowed the rotor to get out of positon. The remanants of the pin held things together for a while, until it finally let loose.
In my case, when the final failure occurred, I was driving the car, and it ran worse and worse, until it finally failed (luckily in my driveway). So it's not always an "all or nothing" problem.
I do agree with the other posts with regard to checking the easy / non-intrusive stuff first.
Rocky